NBA D-League Power Rankings: December 10, 2008
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Juan Ocampo/NBAE/Getty Images |
by Matthew Brennan, D-League.com
There is some shuffling this week in the second edition of the Power Rankings, but overall most of the teams did not make a significant rise or fall. The Bakersfield Jam continue to lead the West Division by one game after winning five of six to start the season. The Idaho Stampede hold steady in second with a 3-1 mark while the other four teams in the division are currently under .500.
In the Southwest Division, the Colorado 14ers have taken command with a 3-0 record while both the Austin Toros and Rio Grande Valley Vipers are tied for second at 3-3. Tulsa is now in fourth place after winning their last two games.
The Central Division has the Iowa Energy in control with a league-best 4-0 record. The Sioux Falls Skyforce, who have finished second in their division for the past two season, are 4-2 and one game out of first place. The Dakota Wizards, who have won this division for two straight years, are currently last after starting the season with a 1-4 record.
| TEAM (LAST WK) | REC. | BREAKDOWN | |
| 1 |  Iowa (2) |
4-0 | The Energy are one of only two undefeated teams remaining in the league and have won three of their games on the road, capped off by an overtime triumph in Fort Wayne on Friday. After nearly a week off, the Energy visit the Erie BayHawks on Thursday and will attempt to go 1-0 against all four of their divisional foes. Courtney Sims is the only player in the league ranked in the top ten in both points (23.8) and rebounds (12.5). |
| 2 |  Bakersfield (1) |
5-1 | The Jam suffered their first loss of the season at home against the D-Fenders last Wednesday, but recovered to win two straight. After six games the Jam are outscoring opponents by 13.7 points per contest. They will look to add to the win column when Tulsa and Anaheim visit Bakersfield this week. |
| 3 |  Idaho (3) |
3-1 | The Stampede added another player with NBA experience this week when Luke Jackson returned to the fold. After their first loss of the season on Sunday, Idaho will host Dakota on Wednesday night before playing six of their next seven games on the road. |
| 4 |  Colorado (4) |
3-0 | The 14ers have only played three games but have looked dominant early in the season, outscoring opponents by a league-high 14.7 points per game. The 14ers are also the league's top rebounding team (51.7 boards) and will visit Austin on Friday. They will play three straight games before meeting a team with a record over .500. James Mays checks in at second in the NBA D-League with 27.0 points per game. |
| 5 |  Sioux Falls (6) |
4-2 | The Skyforce saw a four-game winning streak end in a double-digit loss to Austin on Tuesday afternoon. After visiting Rio Grande Valley on Thursday, Sioux Falls will be at home for six of their next eight games. Sioux Falls is 37-15 all-time in regular season home games since entering the NBA D-League. |
| 6 |  Erie (9) |
3-2 | The BayHawks will make their home debut against Iowa on Thursday after going 3-2 on the road to begin the season. Erie is holding opponents to a league-low 89.2 points per game. Opponents have yet to reach 100 points against the BayHawks this season. |
| 7 |  Austin (8) |
3-3 | The Toros have alternated wins and losses to begin the season and will be tested by undefeated Colorado on Friday night. Marcus Williams, who earned two GATORADE Call-Ups from Austin last season, is leading the team with 23.8 points and also adds 8.2 rebounds per game. |
| 8 |  Rio Grande Valley (5) |
3-3 | The Vipers have dropped three out of four games after a 2-0 start to the season and will be looking to rebound when Sioux Falls and Albuquerque visit to close out an eight-game homestand to begin the year. The Vipers will play four out of five on the road after this weekend. NBA veteran Smush Parker has lived up to his billing as a first-round draft pick, currently ranking third in the league with 7.8 assists per game. |
| 9 |  Tulsa (14) |
2-3 | The 66ers have won two straight games after starting the season 0-3 and will look to build on the momentum with three tough road contests against Bakersfield, Sioux Falls, and Dakota. New acquisition Ronald Dupree is averaging 26.3 points after his first three games with the 66ers. |
| 10 |  Utah (10) |
2-3 | The Flash will have nearly a week to bounce back from a 41-point loss to Bakersfield in their last game. They host Dakota on Friday before a quick trip up to Idaho on Saturday. Utah will be looking to improve on the 2-6 record they compiled against the division rival Stampede last season. |
| 11 |  Fort Wayne (11) |
2-3 | The Mad Ants could easily have a much better record as two of their losses have come in overtime and they have only been outscored by a total of four points after five games. Forward Chris Hunter has been a revelation for the Mad Ants, ranking second in the league with 12.6 rebounds. |
| 12 |  Dakota (12) |
1-4 | The Wizards are off to a disappointing start at 1-4, including an 0-3 record in BIsmarck. The Wizards went 3-1 against Idaho and Utah last season, the teams that they will visit this weekend. Dakota seems to be missing Blake Ahearn's presence from long-range, as the team has connected on only .293 (17-58) of their three-point attempts. |
| 13 |  Anaheim (13) |
1-4 | The Arsenal won one out of three games during their homestand and will now hit the road for three games against division rivals. First round draft pick Tierre Brown leads Anaheim in both scoring (21.0 ppg) and assists (6.6 apg). |
| 14 |  Los Angeles (16) |
1-3 | The D-Fenders knocked off Bakersfield for their first win of the season but lost in OT to Tulsa on Sunday to fall to 1-3. The D-Fenders only lost six times at STAPLES Center last season but have already dropped three games in L.A. a few weeks into 2008-09. |
| 15 |  Reno (7) |
1-3 | The Bighorns have lost two straight and will host Anaheim before playing seven consecutive games on the road. The duo of Antonio Meeking and Damone Brown are accoounting for 44% of Reno's total scoring output so far. Meeking checks in at eighth in the league with 22.3 points while Brown ranks 13th with 21.3 per game. |
| 16 |  Albuquerque (15) |
1-4 | The Thunderbirds lost four out of five to begin the season and are giving up a league-high 114.4 points per game. They will visit the Texas teams this weekend to close out five straight on the road. Second-round draft choice David Monds has been a bright spot with a league-leading 13.0 rebounds. |
